Portugal's Foreign Minister, Paulo Rangel, will represent the country at Daniel Chapo's investiture on Wednesday (15), despite recommendations and criticism to the contrary.

Regarding this situation, Paulo Rangel said that it was a decision agreed with the President of the Republic, Marcelo Rebelo de Sousa.

He believes that the Portuguese government's position "is very moderate and very balanced and is essentially aimed at the political forces in Mozambique being able to talk and create a situation of stability, of normality, which will lead to the possibility of bringing prosperity back to the Mozambican people".

This decision has raised criticism in the country that Portugal is legitimizing electoral fraud and Mozambique is ignoring the hundreds of lives lost in the post-election demonstrations.

Rangel declined the criticism, recalling that "the government has always condemned all acts of violence and has always made a very strong appeal to the Mozambican authorities not to repress the demonstrations, to guarantee the safety of the candidates, and has always made a strong appeal for national reconciliation".